She started the UK’s first Black Women Business Network – The European Federation of Black Women Business Owners. In addition to being awarded the CBE in 2003 for her services to women, small business and minorities, her work has been recognised internationally and acknowledged by the Mayor of Houston, Texas with her own day- Yvonne Thompson Day 4th Jan. As well as being named in Washington in the Congressional Records.

With a background in business management, advertising, the private medical sector, the Employment Department Jill has also worked in the House of Commons for 18 years.

She was appointed as the first female Sergeant at Arms in 2008, which she describes as a formal job with a very formal uniform. Her responsibilities as Sergeant were security, access and ceremonial.

When she retired from the role in 2012 this was said about her contribution “Jill has played a powerful role in mentoring and encouraging other women in the House service to achieve their potential. The number of women now occupying senior posts in the House Service is some measure of the example she has set.”

The “Why It’s Time to STEP UP and STAND OUT” workshop is going online!
For those couldn’t make it along to the workshop we are running it on-line so that you can watch it from the office or at home or wherever you are!

And even if you can’t attend live, as long as you register we’ll send you a link to the recording so can can listen whenever you want.
Click on this post to register now.

As we were waiting for the funicular car to arrive, enjoying the fabulous view I was wondering why they were watering the track when suddenly I looked up and saw someone hurtling towards me out of the sky…….

I know that change has been a constant factor in business in the last ten years because if what you’re doing isn’t working then you must do something you haven’t done before if you want to get different results . . . .

Feelings ranging from nervousness to sheer terror are common for many people and it has been said that the fear of public speaking comes higher than the fear of death for a large proportion of the population but . . . .

As you all know my areas of expertise are Learning and Communication and I do a lot of business networking. I was approached to do a workshop for students about “ Communication and Networking in Business “ – not a particularly sexy title! I designed the workshop around the importance and purpose of networking and [...]

Derren Brown, love him or loathe him, has been engaging everyone lately with his latest series of progarmmes “The Experiments”. I personally love watching him because he is so good at what he does using his own combination of illusion, magic, hypnosis, NLP, psychology and other stuff to entertain and confound. And he has a [...]

In London recently I was in a hurry and took a black cab from my hotel to the station. I was desperate not to miss my train and the driver was brilliant, exhibiting the famous ”knowledge” to get me there in record time. Now let me ask you a question – would you ever get [...]